Cafe Zaiya
“i have gone to sunrise and panya, just to confirm
cafe zaiya to have the best onigiri!”
“So, it would only be natural to LOVE their red bean mochi donut, right?”
“Summary
Bakery with a small selection of Japanese take out meals makes for a budget foodie meal in downtown.”
Cafe Zaiya
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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We came here after a brutal workout and was a bit disappointed by what this place had to offer. We were hoping they would serve the same kind of food as their location in midtown. Since we were looking for a place that served lunch around 11am on a weekday we opted to stay here. We were able to get the pork katsu curry, a salmon bento box, spicy tuna onigiri, and a curry bun. The pork katsu and spicy tuna onigiri were the winners here. Staff was friendly.
Cute Japanese bakery.
Nice place to grab a quick bite to eat. Lots of snacks, desserts and ready made lunch items available. Prices are reasonable as well. Little indoor seating in here, about 3 small tables. Service is quick and friendly. Their baked goods are delicious and reasonably priced.
This place is smaller than the Cafe Zaiya on 42nd street. Less Options as well.
I typically get the onigiris (spicy tuna, shrimp)
I also really like their almond cookies. It's flat, round, and super crunchy.
Came here to kill some time with a book (appropriately, a Murakami novel). It was quiet, quaint, a bit dingy, but overall pleasant. I only had tea (when I had come in the riceball selection was a bit lacking), but the cafe seemed like a comfortable spot for both regulars and first-timers. The seating was extremely limited (maybe 2 or 3 small round tables?), but it was just what a needed– a quiet, inconspicuous indoor space to read.
Cafe Zaiya has three locations in Manhattan: two in Midtown, one in East Village. I love all the Japanese bread, snacks, ice cream, and savory food from Cafe Zaiya. The price is just right, and everything tastes so good!
I've gotten the Oyako Don from here. It's a bowl of white rice with cooked chicken and eggs on top. There are sprinkles of seaweed, onions, and scallions on top as well. It would have tasted better if the egg was a bit on the runnier side, and higher chicken/egg to rice ratio.
The real highlight at Cafe Zaiya is the baked goods. I love the Yakimochi and everything green tea flavored. I have ordered the Matcha Tea Cake, and peopled LOVED it. Unlike most American cakes that are very heavy in cream with dense/dry cake, the matcha green tea is made with lighter, sponge cake that is perfectly fluffy. The cake has red bean cream filling – so good! It's topped with real strawberries and white chocolate shavings.
I love going to Cafe Zaiya for the green tea frappes and the baked goods. This is a smaller location than the other two Cafe Zaiyas in midtown, and seems to have less selection.
I heard they are known for their onigiri here, so I have yet to try it out! This is my lil secret but I'll go ahead and say it – they make the best green tea frappes!
Cute little Japanese bakery I found on the way walking to a yoga class. I popped in to just grab a bottle water the first time then realized there are a ton of fresh pastry goodies and lunch treats to enjoy so I stopped by again the next day. Staff is really friendly and the foods are budget friendly affordable. They have a couple of two-seater tables if decide to eat your food there or if you're deciding to do some homework or work as you eat. They take credit (Visa and Mastercard) and cash. Open early enough for the commuter and students.
I love Asian pastries, so I love coming here for a snack or even a meal! I've only tried to ham and cheese sandwich and a few of the pastries, but they've all been good. I like the mochi doughnuts. The honey toast is delicious, so it sells out really quickly. I also love getting their green tea/matcha frappe and the iced matcha latte!